How Much Weight Should I Lift to Tone My Arms?

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PAM MURPHY Last Updated: Sep 11, 2017

Pam Murphy

Pam Murphy is a writer specializing in fitness, childcare and business-related topics. She is a member of the National Association for Family Child Care and contributes to various websites. Murphy is a licensed childcare professional and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Georgia.

You can reap the benefits of a balanced weight training program by investing just 20 to 30 minutes two times a week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. To ensure stronger, well-proportioned and toned arms, include exercises that target both your biceps and triceps. If you have excess body fat, complement your weight training with cardiovascular exercise and a balanced eating plan to burn fat and see improved definition in your arms.

Guidelines

The amount of weight it takes to tone your biceps and triceps varies by individual. You need to experiment with different amounts of resistance until you find the weight size that tires the targeted muscle or muscles to the point of fatigue with 12 repetitions. Depending on your strength and fitness level, you may need to start as low as 1 to 2 lbs. You can also tone your arms by doing fewer repetitions with heavier weights. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that when you first start out, it's more important to focus on learning and executing proper technique rather than focusing on the right amount of weight and the number of repetitions. With improper technique, you risk injury and setbacks in your fitness goals.

Toning

Since your primary goal is to tone your arms, you need to continue to use light resistance throughout your training, performing 10 to 15 reps of each exercise. Choose four to five exercises that target your arm muscles and perform one set of each exercise two times per week. When the current amount of resistance becomes less challenging by 12 reps, the American Council on Exercise recommends that you increase the weight by 5 percent to 10 percent.

Considerations

Even if your primary goal is to tone your arms, it's important to build a balanced weight training program. Add strength exercises that target your shoulders, chest, back, glutes and legs to build a stronger and healthier body. You can improve your energy level, physical endurance, metabolism, bone density, muscle tone and balance by performing just 10 resistance exercises two times a week. Check with your doctor before starting a weight program if you have a history of heart problems or hypertension.